Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. [Luke 4:1-13]
All three Lectionary cycles give us the same gospel story for the First Sunday of Lent: an account of Jesus’ temptations in the desert—a clear sign of its importance for our Lenten journey!
The Greek word for “desert” is erémos. I think “wilderness” is the better translation because erémos doesn’t mean hot and dry; rather it refers to an uninhabited or abandoned region, a desolate wasteland.
In Jesus’ time, the desert was not a romantic place of peace and quiet. It was a wilderness filled with danger, a home to wild animals, and a refuge for thieves and criminals and for outcasts of society who were often desperate.
What are we to make of Jesus’ time in the desert? It was a time of testing (a better translation than “temptation”)—a time to face his fears, to consider the implications of what he was felt he was being called to do, to be. Filled with and led by the Spirit, Jesus was ready to be tested.
The first test, to turn stone into bread, tempted him to make his own comfort and well-being the goal—never the hallmark of one who trusts in God!
The second test was one that seduces so many—power: a temptation rampant in our world today. The power to control one’s situation can be very enticing!
The third test—to “prove” oneself to be important, significant; using one’s strength, gifts, and “connections” to gain favor or dominance—or simply recognition… another temptation that seduces many today.
Indeed, all three tests were appeals to Jesus’ ego: choices that would make him “important,” attractive to the masses.
So what might we learn from Jesus’ experience in the wilderness as a model for our own observance of Lent this year? Perhaps this Lent might be an invitation for us to be tested, for us to see what we’re made of.
Lent is a time of repentance, metanoia, a “turning around,” to face the truth—and my fears. What might I be afraid to face? Maybe I’m afraid I will be found wanting, so I avoid the confrontation.
The Lenten desert offers me an opportunity to look at the truth of my life, perhaps a part of myself I like to avoid—and to confront the fear that keeps me from facing that truth.
To embrace the gift of the desert, we must reject the distractions that keep us from hearing God’s voice, for if we keep ourselves constantly busy and preoccupied, we may miss the encounter with God that the desert offers us.
Can I challenge the voice that plays in my head telling me “I’m special, I’m an exception, I’m powerful, I can find a way to be a hero”—even if only to myself?
I cannot conquer fears that I refuse to face… fear of loneliness, fear of loss, fear of admitting inadequacy, fear of need, fear of rejection, fear of the unknown, fear of death.
In the desert, I’m able to get my bearings and choices become clearer.
Perhaps I’ll be called to “step up” to a challenge that frightens me, something that might take me out of my comfort zone.
Perhaps I’ll be called to “let go” of a person, a situation, a dependency, something that holds me back from being who God needs me to be today.
Perhaps I’ll be called to a deeper acceptance of my human limitations
and let God be God for me!
Perhaps I’ll be called to let go of my independence and determination to do things my way, and let God’s plan for my transformation unfold in and through me in ways I don’t and may never understand.
Will I face my fears or embrace an invitation from God perfectly? Probably not. I may even fail miserably.
But here is the good news… God’s mercy is greater than my failure.
Lent is the time to let the breadth and extravagance of God’s unconditional mercy speak to me because, deep down, I probably don’t believe it can be real!
What should I give up for Lent? My resistance to facing my truth, my fears. But I must remember to look at my truth with God’s eyes—the eyes of mercy.
So let us embrace our time in the desert with gentleness—even though we are afraid… for God’s mercy awaits.
How do I face my fears in the desert? I stand my ground—for my ground is our merciful God!
– Sister Margaret Palliser, OP
With expertise in Theology, Music, Education, and Liturgy,
Sister Margaret shares her gifts through the Office of Dominican Life.